JUICI™ Apples

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Description/Taste

JUICI™ apples are a medium to large varietal, averaging 7 to 8 centimeters in diameter, and have an oval to conical appearance, tapering slightly at the fruit’s base. The skin is thin, tender, smooth, and has a yellow-green base, overlaid with a dark red-orange blush. The surface also features a unique dimpled texture and prominent pale-yellow lenticels. Underneath the skin, the pale yellow to ivory flesh is dense and crunchy, composed of larger cells, giving the flesh a snapping, cracking consistency. JUICI™ apples feel heavy for their size and are known for their aqueous nature. The flesh also contains high sugar content with acidity, creating a balanced, sweet-tart flavor. The taste is initially sweet and tangy with a sharp but not overpowering zest, dissipating quickly to a pleasant, sweet aftertaste.

Seasons/Availability

JUICI™ apples are available in the late fall through winter.

Current Facts

JUICI™ apples, botanically classified as Malus domestica, are a modern cultivar belonging to the Rosaceae family. The hybrid variety was developed in the 21st century and was bred in Washington State as a part of a program to create an improved honeycrisp cultivar. JUICI™ apples are favored for their crunchy nature, and the apples inherited the honeycrisp’s large cells, creating dense, juicy, and fracturing, snappy flesh. The variety is also commercially promoted for its long shelf life, as the fruits respirate slowly, preserving the quality and flavor of the apples for extended periods. JUICI™ apples are a multi-purpose apple that can be utilized in fresh preparations, cooked dishes, and beverages.

Nutritional Value

JUICI™ apples are an excellent source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract and vitamin C to strengthen the immune system, reduce inflammation, and boost collagen production. The apples also provide potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, calcium and phosphorus to protect bones and teeth, vitamin E to guard the cells against free radical damage, and other amounts of magnesium, zinc, iron, copper, and vitamin A.

Applications

JUICI™ apples have a sweet-tart flavor well suited for a variety of fresh and cooked preparations. The multi-purpose apple can be consumed straight, out of hand, or it can be chopped and tossed into green salads, fruit bowls, and slaws. JUICI™ apples can also be sliced and displayed on cheese plates, layered into sandwiches, mixed into breakfast bowls, stirred into parfaits, or dipped into caramel as a sweet, healthy dessert. Try slicing the apple into rings and topping it with peanut butter, nuts, granola, or chocolate as a snack. The apples can also be combined into salsa as a crunchy addition or used to flavor ice cream. In addition to fresh preparations, JUICI™ apples have dense, crisp flesh and thin skin, allowing them to be used in desserts and baked goods. The apples can be hollowed, stuffed with spices, dried fruits, and nuts, and baked, or they can be used as a topping over flatbread. JUICI™ apples can also be cooked into tarts, crisps, and cobblers, baked into cinnamon rolls, or chopped and used as a filling for doughnuts, turnovers, and muffins. Beyond culinary preparations, JUICI™ apples contain sweet-tart juice for cocktails, smoothies, and other beverages. The apples can be easily pressed, and the juice provides a balanced flavor for pleasant-tasting drinks. JUICI™ apples pair well with fruits such as blackberries, bananas, pears, and plums, spices including cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and cloves, fennel, dill, arugula, kale, butternut squash, radish, cheeses such as parmesan, goat, and feta, honey, chai, and vanilla. Whole, unwashed JUICI™ apples will keep for 1 to 3 months when stored in the refrigerator. In professional cold storage, the variety can keep anywhere between 11 to 12 months, but consuming the apples within three months for the best quality and flavor is recommended.

Ethnic/Cultural Info

During the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Starr Ranch Growers implemented several new marketing strategies to promote JUICI™ apples. The company established contracts with social media influencers and micro-influencers to tap into niche markets, and these partnerships created visibility for the new apple variety across platforms extensively used during quarantine lockdowns. Starr Ranch Growers began social media giveaways, releasing twenty JUICI™ branded gift boxes with customized athletic slides, JUICI™ apples, and an apple-scented candle labeled with “Sliding into JUICI™ harvest.” The company also gave away five gift boxes with drink tumblers, JUICI™ apples, and recipes cards to promote the variety’s use in mixology. These unique marketing giveaways were just a few of the branding strategies created to promote JUICI™ apples, and the company hopes that these strategies will generate repeat customers to build a more extensive clientele base across North America.

Geography/History

JUICI™ apples are native to Washington State and were bred by Regal Fruit International in the early 21st century. The variety was created from a cross between braeburn and honeycrisp apples in Regal Fruit International’s test orchard in Grant County, Washington, and the seedling was selected in 2004 as a potential new cultivar. The variety was studied through several generations of propagation, taking a little over a decade, and was eventually chosen by Starr Ranch Growers as a new licensed commercial cultivar. Starr Ranch Growers is a family-owned and operated business with orchards throughout the Pacific Northwest. JUICI™ apples were officially introduced to commercial markets in the fall of 2017 and have since been heavily promoted to create brand awareness and recognition among the saturated apple market. Today JUICI™ apples are sold through select retailers, distributors, and grocers throughout North America. The variety is also being planted in New Zealand and Chile for possible year-round cultivation.